Juve's Comolli, Chiellini get bans over angry confrontation with ref

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 17 - Juventus CEO Damien Comolli and the Turin giants' Director of Football Strategy Giorgio Chiellini were both given bans by Serie A's sporting judge on Tuesday after they angrily confronted referee Federico La Penna in the tunnel to the changing rooms at half-time of Juve's 3-2 defeat to Inter at San Siro on Saturday. Comolli and Chiellini were furious at La Penna's decision to give Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu a second yellow card for a foul on Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni. TV replays showed that Bastoni dived and Italy's referees selector Gianluca Rocchi has admitted that the decision to send off Kalulu was a mistake. The VAR was unable to do anything because the protocol does not allow it to intervene with second yellow cards, only direct red cards. The sporting judge said Comolli was banned until March 31 while Chiellini was banned until February 27. He said that Comolli, in particular, adopted "an aggressive and seriously intimidating attitude towards the match official, seeking physical contact with him", saying this was only prevented by Juve coach Luciano Spalletti holding him back, adding that the CEO directed "seriously insulting language" at the referee. Police have opened an investigation after La Penna reported getting death threats amid the furore over the decision. (ANSA). Read article...

By ANSA